- Australian Open Drive-in Theatres
Drive-in theatres (also known as "Drive-In Cinemas" or "Drive-ins") were once very popular in
Australia . There were once over 330 drive-in theatres open, but since the early 1980s, most drive-ins closed following the introduction ofvideo cassette recorders and changing consumer tastes, leading to alternative land uses.However, a handful of drive-in theatres still survive and some have in fact prospered. In the 1990s, the Coburg Drive-in Theatre in
Melbourne , was expanded to 3 screens, as was the Dromana Drive-in Theatre which now also has 3 screens. In more recent times the formerDandenong Panoramic Drive-in, in Victoria, has been reopened as the Lunar Drive-in Theatre and now boasts 3 screens. The Wonga Drive-in Theatre inQueensland has also expanded and now has 3 screens also. The Rodeo Drive In at Mareeba, near Cairns has new owners and is attracting good crowds.Along with a few metropolitan operations, there are a number of Drive-ins serving remote communities such as Jericho in Queensland.
The remaining drive-ins provide a glimpse of what was a very popular pastime in the 1950s and 1960s. The following is a listing of Australia's remaining open drive-in theatres. It also includes portable operations in which patrons can either drive or sit down to see a movie outdoors.
Victoria
*Dandenong: [http://www.lunardrive-in.com.au/ Lunar Drive-in Theatre] , Dandenong (3 screens)
*Coburg: Triple Drive-in Theatre, Coburg (3 Screens)
*Dromana: [http://www.drivein.net.au/ Dromana 3 Drive-in] , Dromana (3 Screens)New South Wales
*Blacktown: Greater Union Blacktown Skyline (2 Screens)
*Heddon Greta Skyline
*Lightning Ridge
*TibooburraQueensland
* [http://www.stardust.8m.net Ayr Stardust Drive In]
*Yatala Twin Drive-In Theatre (2 screens)
*Charters Towers Tors
*Jericho
*Mareeba Rodeo Drive In
*Wonga Triple Drive In TheatreWestern Australia
*Busselton
*Dongara
*Galaxy Drive-in Theatre, Kingsley (Perth)
*Kununurra Picture Gardens (scroll down the page for details)
*Leinster
*Margaret River
*Mt Tom Price Open Air Drive In Theatre
*Paraburdoo
*Wyndham Picture Gardensouth Australia
*Coober Pedy: Desert Drive-in Theatre (1 screen)
*Gepps Cross: Wallis Mainline Drive-in Theatre (1 screen)Northern Territory
*None still open, although Darwin's Deckchair Cinema provides seats in an outdoor setting.
Tasmania
*None still open
Australian Capital Territory
*None still open
Portable Drive-in Theatres
*Galaxy Travelling Outdoor Cinema
*Moonlight CinemaReferences
* [http://www.drive-insdownunder.com.au Drive-insdownunder - An Australian Drive-In Theatre Tribute site with much history and photos]
* [http://www.stardust.8m.net Ayr Stardust Drive-In]
* [http://www.torsdrive-in.com Charters Towers Tors Drive-In]
* [http://www.drive-in.com.au Heddon Greta Drive-In]
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